I was always a good server because food was my passion, and restaurants my favorite pastime. For 18 years, I was a Guest Entertainer on cruise ships, and I was fortunate enough to travel the world. In that time, I visited thousands of restaurants, seeing what was successful, and what was not. Because of my history working in restaurants, I was very keen on studying food venues. Most people would come away with pictures of buildings and statues, but I would always have pictures of restaurants and food! For 5 years, I was a food critic for weewok.com, a food and travel site, and when my husband and I recently took a trip to NYC, we ate in 100 restaurants in 20 days!
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About Me & RestaurantsMy first introduction to the restaurant business was when I was 14, my Father owned and ran a gourmet California-style restaurant near Santa Barbara that was set on 20 acres of natural hot springs. It was an amazing property. On weekends, I worked in the kitchen, bussed tables, and hosted, whatever needed to be done. My stepmother, a renowned designer, decorated it with her signature flare, and I saw then how interiors could truly affect the dining experience.
Shortly after, I embarked on a career in acting in NYC, and I subsequently engaged in a relationship with restaurant jobs that spanned many years. I was a server for Wolfgang Pucks in Los Angeles, did special events at Spago in Hollywood, was a Captain server for Daniel Boulud in NYC and, in that time, helped open more than 15 restaurants in the Los Angeles, New York, and Kansas City areas. I have lead special events serving teams, and was a server trainer for many years. Currently, I own Sorella Staging, one of the most sought-after home staging companies in the Bay Area, I am in charge of choosing all paint colors, furniture, accessories to help make homes sell. I have become an expert on how designers affects client experience, and some of the biggest agents in the area rely on me for my design expertise. Our homes have been features twice in the San Francisco chronicle, and we stage over 50 homes a year. I believe my love of food, my experience in restaurants, and my passion for design, all come together to make me a a uniquely-qualified candidate for helping any restaurant become more successful. |
some of the restaurants
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Piropos Grille Lead Server & Server Trainer. Helped open restaurant Kansas City, MO Robert Server & Events Server. Helped open restaurant NYC DB Bistro Moderne (Daniel Boulud) Captain NYC Webster House Server & Events Server Kansas City, MO Wolfgang Puck Server & Server Trainer Los Angeles Spago, Hollywood Special Events Server Los Angeles Le Parker Meridian Hotel Cocktail server NYC La Hosteria Server, Events Server, & Server Trainer NYC Au Natural Server & Server Trainer NYC |
The impact of style
The restaurant business is one of the most competitive in the World, but what makes a great restaurant stand out from the rest? Is it the food or location? Sure, but it's also most likely the style.
Style is what draws people into your location. It's the first thing they notice, before they look at a menu, before they encounter a server, before they even taste the food. It's what identifies your venue as different, and it's what makes them choose your restaurant over others. The colors, lighting, chairs, art, and music should all work together to create an atmosphere where people will be happy to spend their time and money, and they are just as important, if not more so, as the food, the concept, and the prices.
A successful restaurant is more than just a place to eat. A successful restaurant is an experience, a destination. No matter what category or price-point you operate in, never underestimate the impact of great style. Not only does it draw people in, but it will keep them coming back time and time again.
Style is what draws people into your location. It's the first thing they notice, before they look at a menu, before they encounter a server, before they even taste the food. It's what identifies your venue as different, and it's what makes them choose your restaurant over others. The colors, lighting, chairs, art, and music should all work together to create an atmosphere where people will be happy to spend their time and money, and they are just as important, if not more so, as the food, the concept, and the prices.
A successful restaurant is more than just a place to eat. A successful restaurant is an experience, a destination. No matter what category or price-point you operate in, never underestimate the impact of great style. Not only does it draw people in, but it will keep them coming back time and time again.
